a little bit of wild kingdom never did any harm...

It truly is amazing when these two get going. They run with such speed and play so roughly. It's amazing to watch.

 

The Vampire Diaries - The Return: Nightfall

It happened again, Dark Reunion re-captured me at the end and I had high hopes for this book. However, at the end, I'm calling it quits, at least for now. There are two more books that were actually written by L.J. Smith in the series. Eventually I'd like to finish them, but for now I am done.

The thing that angers me about this series is the turn that some of the characters have taken. Elena's character has grown and become strong, but I don't think that is true of most of the others. Caroline, in particular has taken a turn for the worse, she has turned evil out of spite. Stefan and Damon haven't really changed all that much, but I've never been overly fond of the way they have been portrayed. Damon in particular, about mid way through this book I was excited about the development in his character, but in the end he was the same old same old. Bonnie and Meredith have always been some of my favorites, but have been fading from the story line.

In this book the evil has truly taken over the town and as usually it is after Elena. But it is attacking from the outside in. Damon is one of the first under the evil influence, preceded only Caroline who has in a sense made a "deal with the devil". Bonnie, Meredith, and Matt and Elena have their work cut out for them in defeating the evil after Stefan was kidnaped. In the end Elena finds her powers and saves the day.

I hope that when I do decide to continue on with the series that the adventure that Elena, Damon and Matt have started ends with a happen ending.

The Vampire Diaries - Dark Reunion

This book did not keep my attention, until the end, then I was completely caught up in it again. I'm not sure what exactly what it was about the story that bothered me so much in the first half of the story. I think I missed the Elana/Stefan interaction. I have nothing against Bonnie and Meredith, they have always been great characters, but for me they work better secondary rather then primary.

I did enjoy the concept of the story, one of the oldest vampires comes to Fell's Church and causes problems. But there was a level of personal interaction that I felt was missing. It was beyond romance. Elana had a way of tying everyone together.With her missing from the story in physical form until the very end I felt the loss of the group of friends.

About mid-way in this book I was not planing on reading the next, but the end pulled me back in and I couldn't wait to start the next.